During the holidays, tipping shows workers and caretakers that you are grateful for the services they have provided you. Extra, end-of-the-year tips are appreciated in a number of service industries, including child care, beauty services, maintenance, and pet care, so you should decide early who will receive a tip. Once you have established this, carefully consider how much you will give them based on their job and relationship to you. Make sure to include a friendly note and a sincere thank you.

Steps

Method1

Planning Your Tips and Gifts

1

Establish a budget. Tipping can easily become expensive, and you may have to buy gifts for other people as well. Before you start, decide exactly how much you can afford to tip this year. This will help you decide how many people to tip and how much to give each person.[1]

Do not feel bad if you cannot afford a large tip. Tipping is to demonstrate your gratitude, and even a small tip will be appreciated by those who work for you.[2]

If you cannot afford to tip everyone who provides you a service, you might consider giving a few of them a card instead. While this may not contain money, it will still express your gratitude in a meaningful way.

2

Decide who to tip. In general, it is good to tip people who have provided you a regular service in the past year. These could be people who provided a personal service, child care, pet care, or maintenance. Some services that are commonly tipped around the holidays include:

Dog walkers

Dog groomers

Hairstylists

Manicurists

Gardeners

Housekeepers

Cleaners

Doorman or superintendent of your building

Babysitters

Full time nannies

3

Check that they are allowed to receive tips. Not all businesses allow their workers to accept tips or gifts, and it may be considered a conflict of interest for some professions. Always check with the company to make sure that they allow their employees to accept tips or gifts. Do not force someone to accept money if they are prohibited to do so by their employer.[3]

It is more appropriate to give teachers a gift from their students rather than cash. Some school districts discourage or prohibit gifts from students, so check with your child’s school first.

Some medical workers such as nurses, hospice care workers, or physical therapists may be prohibited from accepting cash by their institutions.[4]

In some places, municipal workers, such as trash collectors, may be restricted from accepting cash on the job.[5]

Civil servants, such as postal workers, are not allowed to accept cash. If you want to give your mail carrier a gift, it cannot exceed $20 in value.[6]

If company policy does not allow cash tips but does allow gifts, you might consider a gift card instead.

4

Consider giving gifts as well. Cash is not always expected for a tip. You can still express your gratitude through a small gift. It could also be something inexpensive but meaningful, such as a mug, box of candy, or calendar. This gift could also be a gift card to a store or a local restaurant.

If you are tipping someone who cares for your child, you should include a small gift from the child themselves. This can be a handmade gift, such as a painted ornament or framed drawing.

If you want to thank a team of nurses or health professionals who have helped you in the past year, platters of food or cookies are often appreciated.[7]

If you are tipping a team that has worked for you, such as a cleaning service, you should give each person a small gift or a gift card in a lower amount.[8]

Method2

Deciding How Much to Tip

1

Consider whether you already tip this person on a regular basis. If this is a service that you tip regularly, you do not have to make a separate tip as a holiday gift. Instead, during the holiday season, increase the typical amount that you give.[9]

For example, you might tip your hairstylist every time you see them. So, instead of giving them a holiday tip, give them twice as much as you normally would at your December hair appointment.

2

Evaluate the type of service you receive. Different types of services might receive different amounts of tips. In general, you want to tip the equivalent cost of a single session or pay period. Some services might require a little more or less however.

Baby sitters: one or two nights pay.

Au pair or nanny: extra week’s pay.

Dog walkers: extra week’s pay.

Dog groomers, house or office cleaners, personal trainers, and hairstylists: cost of a single session.[10]

If you attend a bar or restaurant regularly, you may want to tip your usual server a little extra than normal.

3

Assess the quality of service you received. If someone has provided you with truly exceptional work this year, you may want to exceed the normal amount. On the other hand, if someone’s work has been lackluster, you may want to consider lowering the tip amount.

Do not spend time worrying that if you do not tip well, you will not get good service the coming year. A tip is a way of saying "thank you," especially around the holidays. If you are receiving service that does not warrant a generous tip, you might consider shopping around anyway.

4

Learn the typical rate in your community. Tipping rates can vary by community. This is because the cost of living is different in various regions. People living in cities usually tip more than those living in suburban or rural areas.[12] There are also regional differences as well. Ask around to see what the typical tipping rate is.

If you have friends who use the same service, you can ask them, “I’m trying to figure out what is appropriate to tip our dog walker. Do you mind if I ask how much you usually tip for this service during the holidays?” Some people may be uncomfortable talking about money, so if your friend does not want to say, you can drop the subject.

Method3

Giving the Tip

1

Give early. The holidays are expensive for everyone, and an early tip can really help some people get through the season. It is good to tip early in December. At this time, it does not seem as though the tip is an afterthought, and the recipient can use the tip towards holiday gifts, travel, or food.[13]

Generally, the latest you should give a tip is right before Christmas.[14] That said, the recipient might appreciate a New Year’s tip instead.

2

Write a personal note. A tip is a way of showing your gratitude, and you should make sure that the recipient knows just how grateful you are for their service. Write a note to accompany the tip. You can write it in a card, holiday-themed stationary, or just on a piece of paper. Express your gratitude for their service while wishing them happy holidays.

For example, you might write, “Dear Louise, Thank you so much for your services this year. We don’t know what we would do without you. I wish you happy holidays with your family this year. Thank you again.”

It is best to stick with a generic “Happy Holidays” unless you are certain which specific holidays the recipient might celebrate.

Once you have written the note, put it in an envelope with the tip tucked inside.[15]

3

Hand it to them at the end of the service. You should hand the tip over at the end of a typical session. If you pay them at the end of a week, it may be nice to accompany their paycheck with the card. If possible, hand them the envelope in person.

As you hand them the card, you can say, “This is just to say thank you for everything you’ve done this year.”

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Tips

Remember that common sense, your holiday spirit, and your specific relationship with the other person are always the best guide when it comes to tipping.

Do not wish the other person “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah” until you are absolutely certain that they celebrate the holiday.

Be respectful if the other person says they cannot receive tips. They may be risking their job if they accept cash or gifts from you.

Warnings

Do not give a cash tip to your postal carrier. Employees of the United States postal service are not permitted to accept cash, checks or gift cards from customers. Cities and towns have similar regulations for municipal trash collectors and other service providers. Check with local laws before you tip.[16]